


Cinders in the Dark

by KoibitoDream



Series: After 6 pm [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akiteru being none the wiser, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst and Humor, Boys Being Boys, Boys In Love, Curses, Down a rabbit hole we go, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Ghosts, Grudges, Humor, I Don't Even Know, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Inappropriate Humor, Kageyama being Kageyama, M/M, Sequel, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Spirits, Still no clue how to tag, Tsukishima done with life, Writing, did ya miss me, like seriously, third part of series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-02 04:29:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14536677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoibitoDream/pseuds/KoibitoDream
Summary: It's just one mess after the other. By all means Tsukishima Kei shouldn't even care. Yet, for some reason, he does.Will that vague feeling of responsibility get in the way or perhaps that's another feeling he can't name yet?





	Cinders in the Dark

_Damn it, Kageyama_ , Hinata curses under his breath as he tries, and fails, to get anywhere near the last house in the row, _did you have to give him your strongest barrier??_

He'd like to get in and see if he can help, but all his troubles are for naught, since he can't pass the force field around that Tsukishima's house. It's a miracle he can even make it out.

How was he supposed to get back to those two now??

“ _Hinata-san.”_ His ears perk up as he hears a familiar voice. Turning, he sees Nanase, with her head attached for a change and she doesn't look happy. _“What happened?”_

“ _I don't know.”_ The fox says. _“There was a disturbance and next thing I know is Bokuto asking to check on Kageyama before he flew off.”_

“ _I doubt you'll get through this one, but don't worry. I shall go and deal with whatever is near that plane. If you do happen to see Kageyama-san, please tell him not to go near that place.”_

“ _Yes, Nanase-san.”_

With that, the spirit vanishes.

Hinata is again alone, with nothing to do beside sit and wait until something stirs in that house. His only regret was that he wasn't fast enough to reach the two humans before that Tsukishima dragged him off from the field. Now he's stuck outside with a barrier to deal with that could easily fling him into the next county if it didn't disintegrate him first.

What was it with the humans these days?

They either ignored spirits or went overboard with stuff they would put on the house. Make up your minds already!

 

Inside the house, however, one Tsukishima Kei had other things to think about.

_Whatnowhatnowhat-_

_Calm down._

_He's cold._

_Uh, blanket? No, no. Water!_

 

A lukewarm shower it is.

 

While he made sure the idiot doesn't drown in the meantime, his mind raced as to what else he could do until sheer panic completely takes over and he calls for whomever that he just dragged this kid out of a cloud of... _something really, really, disgusting and awful._

Almost tripping over himself to fetch something sweet for him, knowing Akiteru almost always had a stash of some sugary stuff hidden in the pantry, he tired not to try and make sense of what he just experienced.

Tears were constantly welling up behind his glasses, no matter how much he told himself he was being ridiculous and that he had no time for this.

It was surreal, feeling so detached and yet so involved.

_With what? Stop it already!_ His mind screamed at him the whole time, but he couldn't just shake off the feeling of utter despair that had washed over him.

_Bless Akiteru and his never failing to have something with high sugar content around._

He had gone with a sticky syrup meant for pancakes or the like, it should suffice.

Reaching his bathroom as quickly as he could, he was relieved to see some colour come back to him, although it wasn't much.

“No, no, no, you don't get to sleep just yet...” He mutters as he kneels down, uncapping the bottle and nearly dropping it before he made Kageyama drink some.

Kageyama regained himself the moment he felt that syrup on his lips, the sweetness slapping him awake. He coughed, Tsukishima turned off the water and there they were, both in a horribly humid room now, looking a flood spat them out – or Kageyama looking like that, to be exact.

“What...” The younger teen tried to speak, shiver still not letting up but at least he was conscious.

“What what?!” Tsukishima nearly shrieked, not having a control over his own voice. “I should be asking that! What were you thinking going to that plane wreck at a time like this?!”

“Something stirred...” He managed, feeling a headache coming up.

“Then let them deal with it! Idiot!” The bespectacled teen yelled again, though this time less frantic and more angry. “I get people diving off cliffs, but this?!”

Did this shit always happen when he went out to deal with it? First the disappearing and the bones and then that...black mass of-he can't even describe it.

“...why did you-”

“I don't know!” God, he could be so infuriating at times, it was almost to the point of this whole thing being ridiculous. “I just...did.”

“...what was that thing even?” He then asks.

“...remaining emotions.” Kageyama says, gathering himself and almost curling up into a ball, with his hands wrapped around his knees, pulled up to his chin.

“Hopes turned to curses gathering at that point for years until they became strong enough to snap the restrains to keep them still.”

_That_ was a disturbance even he felt. Meaning, Nanase-san and the others should already be there to cover for it before it reaches even the Observatory.

“...you seriously put up with that voluntarily?” Tsukishima asks, incredulous. “...what did you go through with living people, then?”

Kageyama, in his humble opinion, doesn't even register the question as a sudden wave of drowsiness washes over him evident enough for Tsukishima to notice as well.

“Hey!” Tsukishima nearly jumps up, grabbing him by the shoulders. “What do I do?”

“Call my cousin?” Comes the unsure reply.

“No, I mean, yes, I get that, but can I get you something else?”

“I just need a cold shower now...”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, thank you.”

“...fine. I'll see where your phone is.” Tsukishima says as he stands up, eyes on Kageyama lest he falls over but he didn't by the time Tsukishima, very slowly, reached the door.

As for the phone, he's sure he accidentally kicked it somewhere as he saw to it he got him as soon as possible the furthest away from the plane wreck he possibly could.

...he just hopes he did it near his own backyard and not the stupid plane and those things.

 

_Stepping out the fence, however, has him almost trip over something small and fluffy._

 

“Watch it!” He hears a small voice yell as he jumps over it in the nick of time, turning around to find a small...child? Dwarf? With fox ears and tails, holding-

_-Kageyama's phone._

 

“Is that Kageyama's phone?” He asks, crouching down.

“...maybe?” Hinata squints suspiciously at him, hugging the device closer to his person.

“Could I have it? I have to call his cousin.”

“NO!” Hinata then shrieks as Tsukishima extends his hand in a careful manner. “You can't call that guy!”

“I have to.” Tsukishima insist. “He told me to call him.”

“...”

“...fine.” Tsukishima sighs, not having the nerve to deal with this. “Have him pass out because I have no idea what to do...”

“...wait!” The small thing yells again, visibly discomforted.

“Did you give him something sweet?” He asks as Tsukishima turns again.

“Yes.”

“Did he wash it off?”

“I believe he's taking a cold one right now.”

“...” _Aw, man, if that doesn't help, then he really needs to call that guy..._

“I don't have all night, he's not exactly well.” Tsukishima says, glancing back at the fence, as if he could miraculously see through it.

“I know!” He yells again, but holds the phone up. “I don't like that guy, or you, but if he's not well...”

“...thanks.” The teen says, taking the phone from him and rushes back behind the fence and out of Hinata's sight.

Nearly hopping on the spot from overthinking things, he merely turns and heads towards the plane wreck, having nothing more to do there. By the time he reaches it, Nanase and Bokuto have everything under control.

“Are you going to tie it?” Bokuto asks, holding another feather ready to stick it to the ground.

“...No. It would only hold it for a short while.” Nanase says. “I will grow stronger and tomorrow is a new moon. I have to banish it.”

“Alright.”

Bokuto moves out of the way, releasing the mass, now resembling a ball of tar, and as it lunges for Nanase, she cuts it in half with a katana she summons from the light of the moon, uttering a few words to complete the cleansing.

The katana absorbs it, turning dull and heavy in her hands, but the mass dilutes and shrinks down to a mere shadow in the grass.

When Bokuto goes to eradicate it completely, Nanase merely raises her hand to stop him.

“It is of no use.” She says, holding the katana in both her hands. “It feeds on the remains of the past.”

“Won't it come back if we don't do something about it now?” Bokuto asks, eyeing the small shadow clinging to a blade of grass.

Nanase spares the shadow a look, before carefully wrapping the katana in a piece of sheer cloth, turning to Bokuto.

“Of all those that helped it grow, only a few remain.” She explains. “Their grudges cannot reach it in time before they pass to the other side.”

Bokuto still doesn't seem convinced.

“Perhaps a few drops of the waters flowing down the mountain may help ease your thoughts? If you have any?” She offers instead.

“...I think some remains.”

If anything, Akaashi always has some of those waters for troubling times.

“Then that should suffice.”

“Why did you change the ritual so suddenly?”

“If I were to extinguish it, it may have gotten attached to you.” Nanase explains. “If we leave it be, it will wither on its own.”

“...I see.”

“We should seek out Kageyama-san.” The ghostly woman then says. “I believe he was the first to arrive here. That new child residing here as well.”

 

_Aw, crap. He almost forgot._

 

“I sent out Hinata.” He begins but the little fox spirit jumps out of the grass and clings to his kimono as he tries to catch his breath from all the running and avoiding to get caught up in that cleansing ritual.

“Kageyama's in his house.” Hinata begins, heaving. “I can't see. Wants to call Oikawa. Sweets and water don't work.”

_Well, that simply won't be good._

“Uh, I'll catch up to you later, if you need me.” Bokuto bows to Nanase as he hurries to get to the two before they do call that man. “Good evening to you, Nanase-san."

Nanase chuckles a bit before waiving at his back.

For now, she has to cleanse the katana before sending it back. Dawn is not so far off, so she will have to hurry. It would be a shame is it turned to a curse.

 

Back in the Tsukishima residence, Kageyama could so fall asleep just about now, it's a miracle he even keeps his eyes open.

To recapitulate, the old strings holding back the grudges snapped, he, of course, was immediately out of the house to check – an idiot, as Tsukishima so truthfully put it – he should have known not to get near it, especially if he could feel its presence, which he did.

...but how did it get so out of hand? It's been there since his grandfather's time, why would it snap now?

As luck would have it, it could have been a million and one reason for it, the most logical of it being the person who put it there to have weakened or had come near death. Perhaps they did pass and the grudge had already passed the point of being placated through means of restraints. He can't know for sure.

...and then, there is Tsukishima.

For someone wanting to get out of this mess, he kind of constantly runs into it chasing after Kageyama.

_...that won't do._

_It's one thing if he jumps into a wall head first, but to drag someone else down with him..._

 

“ _Don't drown in there.”_ He hears from the door after a knock. _“I found your phone, so when you're ready-”_

The door opens and Tsukishima is about to yell again in shock before noticing the guy was  _still fully dressed and almost blue again_ , so he  _did_ yell, but for entirely different reasons.

“ _Kageyama Tobio, I swear if those ghosts and spirits and whatnot don't get to you first..._ ”

“What?” The teen blinks, confused as to what caused _this_ outburst.

“ _You're impossible..._ ” Tsukishima mutters, giving up on sanity and reason with this guy – _again_ – as he just grabs his hand and drags him to a room, opening the closet there and tossing him a few towels and a change of clothes.

“...you better be dry when I come back and the living room is just down the hall.” Tsukishima then threatens with a finger up, eyes fixed on Kageyama before leaving the room to make some tea. The strongest possible kind he can manage.

 

Some time later, as they're both in the living room, with only the soft ticking of a clock heard, both comfortable in their seats – Tsukishima on an armchair, Kageyama on the sofa – with tea cooling and Tsukishima with his face in his hands, trying to get his thoughts in order.

“ _Of all things I've encountered so far..._ ” He begins, wiping his own face in sheer disbelief of his own conclusions, “ _...you are definitely the worst of them all._ ”

He's gotten lost before, lost his shoes even in that one place, put up with weird stories going behind his back at the other, encountered a few spirits so far, but  _never, in his life,_ did he encounter someone as reckless as Kageyama Tobio, sitting in his living room, wrapped in a blanket, in the middle of the summer.

“I'm not sure if you're just reckless, suicidal, both, or what, and I don't know why your cousin even let's you off on your own, but you have to stop.” He then directs his attention straight to the teen sitting across him. “You are either going to get yourself killed or something worse.”

_Until moving here and meeting this guy, he wasn't sure there was something worse than death, but heck if he wasn't sure now._

 

A silence passes between them, settling in rather unnoticed, giving Kageyama a chance to take a good look at the teen across the coffee table, more than annoyed with him and showing it. A conversation he had just recently replayed itself in fragments. After all, Akaashi was right. He couldn't read his mind so...

“ _...are you that worried about me?_ ” Kageyama asks in a quiet voice.

“Yes.” Tsukishima answers, close to desperation now. “I have no idea why, but I am worried. About you. You are completely random. I can't follow you. You won't step outside your house to meet other people, but you will hurl yourself into the abyss personalised if need be. Please explain that.”

 

_He'd give up on trying to find a way to never see a thing out of the human sphere again, if he would just tell him how he worked, hell even-_

 

“ _...I can't go out so often because I can't distinguish_ them _from living people._ ”

 

_...huh?_

 

“I see them all as clearly as I see you and I can't tell whether they're spirits, ghosts, demons or people, if they chose to appear human like.” Kageyama continues, curling further into that blanket, starting to provide some warmth. “I see them all the time and not everyone is like Nanase-san, Bokuto-san, Akaashi-san, Kuroo-san or Hinata. Same goes for human beings.”

 

 _...he sees them_ all _the time? Without the possibility to distinguish between them and people?_

_...wow._

 

“..a few years back, that inability of mine cost me dearly and I'm still dealing with the side-effects of that encounter.”

_A lonely child and a spirit all too helpful. A book that should have not been in his hands. A lie he wanted to believe because it wasn't as lonely like that._

“...so forgive me for my rude behaviour back then, I just... _couldn't deal with it._ ” He ends in a quiet tone, half lost in his own thoughts.

…

 

_Now, when that flood of words just broke out of Tsukishima, he didn't expect Kageyama to take him seriously. Merely give him that look, the one he couldn't read and brush him off with one of his distracting yet...rather fascinating facts about spirits and that half amused tone he would use._

_What a shock this was._

“I can't believe you didn't just brush me off like last time.” Tsukishima almost dead-pans, but then recollects himself.

“...I'm sorry, too, I shouldn't have pushed. You...wouldn't have refused if it were a...matter you could handle.”

If anyone should understand a person's wish for a topic to be left alone, it should be him. Heavens know how often he wanted that.

“I...” In a way, he still half wanted that now. “I've spent a good deal of my time purposefully avoiding people.”

 

_Whereas Kageyama..._

 

_...didn't._

 

**Author's Note:**

> May the fourth be with you.


End file.
